Other Views: Stem cell snake oil

Angelina Jolie courageously announced this week that she underwent a preventative double mastectomy after genetic testing showed she had a high probability of developing breast and ovarian cancer, which she followed up with reconstructive surgery of her breasts. Not only does this highlight the promise of medical research and biotechnology, undoubtedly, Jolie's willingness to publicize her decision will encourage other women who find themselves in similar circumstances.

But there is another aspect of biotechnology and cosmetic surgery that should not be readily promoted. Imagine hearing a crunching sound every time you opened your eye. Then, imagine how you would react if a doctor said that bone fragments had grown around it because of a botched procedure. This isn't just a hypothetical scenario; it actually happened to a California woman.

In Scientific American, Ferris Jabr reports that a woman's adult stem cells were removed during a liposuction procedure and re-injected around her eye. Because of the particular cocktail of chemicals the cosmeticians used, the stem cells turned into bones. Thus, instead of rejuvenation, her face became an example of a medical procedure gone wrong.

Unfortunately, this probably will not be the only time something tragic occurs. A stem cell transplant can help cure patients with acute myeloid leukemia, and research has shown incredible potential, from growing teeth to mending "unhealable" bone fractures. Still, stem cells are poorly understood. Despite this, as Jabr writes, many cosmeticians continue to claim that stem cells are a cure-all for "everything from wrinkles to joint pain to autism."

Need better understanding

Until we understand them better, stem cells are the new snake oil peddled by 21st century charlatans. Thankfully, the Food and Drug Administration is cracking down.

Celltex Therapeutics Corp. was thrust into the limelight when Texas Gov. Rick Perry revealed that he was a client. The company collected and re-injected Perry's own stem cells into his back as a therapy for pain. The Houston Chronicle reported that the FDA investigated Celltex and discovered it was unable to verify whether the banked stem cells were alive and uncontaminated - serious violations that could result in the company being shut down. So Celltex decided to move its operations to Mexico.

A company moving abroad to perform unproven, and sometimes dangerous, therapies is contributing to another problem: medical tourism. Americans who cannot legally receive treatment in the U.S. go to foreign countries where medical procedures are far less regulated.

Yet, a pesky bioethical issue remains, one that the non-profit Genetic Literacy Project recently hit upon: Even if the treatments don't work, do people have a right to use their own stem cells? There are two main objections. First, the FDA claims that manipulating stem cells allows them to be classified as a "drug" and subject to its jurisdiction. Second, there is a "truth in advertising" problem: Cosmeticians and other purveyors of stem cell therapies promise rejuvenation and good health, yet they don't have the scientific evidence to back up those claims.

Is there a solution? Banning medical tourism is nearly impossible, but the U.S. can make things more difficult for charlatans at home. Every medical treatment should be required to pass a "truth in advertising" test. An independent laboratory should verify claims made about medical products and procedures before they are allowed to go to market. But this wouldn't just ensnare cosmetic and stem cell companies; it would also certainly shut down many alternative medicine practitioners. And it could even catch some conventional antidepressant medications, some of which might not be better than placebo.

Certainly, more regulation has its drawbacks. The FDA is notoriously slow, and some critics believe that it stifles innovation. Despite its flaws, on balance the FDA probably does more good than harm.

Modern technology has outpaced regulators and laws. The Internet is causing us to re-think intellectual property rights, 'Net neutrality and cyberwarfare. Similarly, as biotechnology advances, it will continue to present society with increasingly complex legal and moral gray areas. We would be wise to reignite a serious debate over these issues now.

Alex B. Berezow is editor of RealClearScience and a member of USA TODAY's Board of Contributors. He holds a Ph.D. in microbiology and is co-author of Science Left Behind.

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Other Views: Stem cell snake oil

Angelina Jolie courageously announced this week that she underwent a preventative double mastectomy after genetic testing showed she had a high probability of developing breast and ovarian cancer,